


Worth The Wait

by 71tenseventeen



Series: Worth The Wait [1]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 04:39:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16758127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/71tenseventeen/pseuds/71tenseventeen
Summary: It started with a single comment.It would be years before he realized how that moment would change his life.





	Worth The Wait

Sid shifts his weight from foot to foot as he looks up at the arrivals board for—he doesn’t even know how many times he’s looked now. Flight 7187 is still on time. Zhenya is almost here.

**

It started with a single comment.

_-I don’t usually comment but I had to let you know, your work is amazing. Some of the best I’ve seen._

Sid had happened upon Evgeni’s art blog and spent weeks lurking, admiring Evgeni’s work before he got the courage to comment. He just had to, though. He meant every bit of the praise and breathed a sigh of relief when Evgeni had replied thanking him for the feedback. Sid hadn’t expected Evgeni to strike up a conversation of sorts in the comments but that’s exactly what happened.

It would be years before he realized how that moment would change his life.

**

Sid felt oddly nervous the first time he logged onto the chat app but he smiled when, a couple of seconds later he got his very first message.

_Sid8787: Hi_

_Женя: Sid!))))) Glad you accept invite. More easy for talk._

_Sid8787: For sure. What does your name mean? Is that Evgeni?_

_Женя: Is Zhenya. For friends to say to me._

_Sid8787: Cool._

_Женя: You finish new drawing today?_

_They talked for two hours that night._

**

_Женя: you around?_

_Sid8787: Hey, I’m here. How are you?_

_Женя: bad day. (((((_

_Sid8787: :( What happened?_

_Женя: did bad on stat test. Professor ask to see me after class say I may need drop class._

_Sid8787: What? Why would they make you drop it?_

_Женя: he say I can get someone to help but everyone in department already full so I have to find on my own. no hope._

_Sid8787: That’s not fair. You’re already almost halfway into the semester!_

_Женя: dont know what else I can do_

_Женя: Chance of finding someone is not good_

_Женя: even if did, cant afford to pay. no one want to do for free._

_Женя: (((((_

_……_

_Женя: Sid_

_Sid8787: I’m here, sorry. What if I could help you?_

_Женя: what mean_

_Sid8787: I’m taking statistics. I know I’m still just in 12th grade but I’m okay at it and maybe it’s similar enough? I could at least try._

_Женя: how?_

_Sid8787: Well. I guess we could try to talk through it here but do you have skype?_

_……_

_Sid8787: Zhenya?_

_Женя: i’m check, I have!_

***

Sid dashed around the room cleaning everything behind his desk chair. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous—he and Zhenya had been chatting everyday for months. But this was—this was _seeing_ each other while they spoke and it wasn’t the same at all as seeing each others pictures on social media. Sid bit his lip as the Skype sound rang out for the first time and took a deep breath before pressing the button.

He knew his cheeks were a little pink as he said softly, “Hi Zhenya,” but it was okay because when he looked up, Zhenya’s were too.

“Hi Sid,” he said with a bright smile.

**

Zhenya’s face came into view and he was positively _beaming_.

Sid’s own face lit up as he grinned wide. “Well?”

“I pass! I get a _four_ Sid!”

“What? Zhenya that’s even better than you expected! I _knew_ you could do it!”

“Couldn’t do without you, Sid,” he says and he looks so happy.

“Sure you could. Your teacher was just a jerk. But you don’t have to worry about him anymore because you passed!”

“Want to say thank you. You save me from fail or drop out of class and have to take again. Best, Sid.”

Sid ducks his head to hide his please smile.

**

_Sid8787: You around?_

_……_

_Sid8787: I’m stuck at school but my Mom texted that I got mail from UNLV. God, I’m so nervous._

_……_

_Sid8787: Work is so slow, I’m bored. Still have another two hours to get through before I can go home and open the letter._

_……_

_Sid8787: I hope everything’s okay. I just got home and I can’t bring myself to open the envelope._

_……_

Sid swallowed hard as he looked down at the envelope in his hands. It was thin and that wasn’t a good sign. It’s not like UNLV was the only school he applied to but it’s one of his top three and it was scary to think that maybe he didn’t get in. He already felt unbalanced in a way that he wasn’t used to. He hadn’t gone a whole day without talking to Zhenya in—maybe not since the first time they used the chat app. It made him uneasy, felt almost like a bad omen. He checked the app one more time to find it empty before he made himself open the envelope alone.

**

Sid felt stupid, wiping hastily at his eyes as he scrambled to accept the Skype call. Pasting on a smile just in time, he said, “Zhenya?”

“Hi Sid,” Zhenya said, hurriedly. “Stupid app not work for me all day and I’m just get chance to— What wrong?”

Crap. Sid shook his head. “Your app’s not working?” As far as attempts to distract go, it was flimsy at best so it wasn’t really a surprise that Zhenya didn’t take the bait.

“You upset. What happen?”

Sid sighed heavily. “I’m just being stupid. I—I got a letter from UNLV. I didn’t get in.”

“Oh Sid. You not stupid, normal to be disappoint, upset. Was one of your top three.”

Sid looked back up then, the barest hint of a smile on his lips. “You remembered that?”

“Of course I’m remember. You my best friend, Sid. Things you say important to me. I’m sorry you not get in but still have Pitt and Wash U to hear from, yes?”

“Yeah.”

“One of them gonna take you. You smartest person I’m know. Maybe UNLV program not best fit but other two have good ones. They both gonna want because you perfect for both.”

Sid’s smile bloomed just a little bit more sincere. “Thanks, Zhenya. That—that means a lot to hear.”

“You know I’m not say if I don’t mean.”

“Yeah, I know. Just—thanks.”

“Welcome,” Zhenya said with a soft smile. “I’m sorry I’m not around all day. Not sure what wrong with app.”

Sid frowned then, thinking of long days without having a chance to talk to Zhenya at all. “That really sucks. I guess if it doesn’t get fixed for you, we’ll have to wait until we can Skype next to talk.”

It was Zhenya’s turn to frown. “That might not be for couple days. Was wonder if maybe—maybe we just text? Would be okay with you? Understand if you not comfortab—” He started before Sid cut him off.

“Of course that’s okay. I trust you, you know?”

Zhenya smiled so brightly that Sid idly wondered what else he could say to make Zhenya smile like that at him every day.

“You got phone, I’m give you number.”

When their numbers were programmed into each other’s phones, Sid shot off a text to confirm. And even though they were still on Skype, looking at each other, it was a thrill when he got one back.

**

**Saturday**

_4:17 pm: <I know it’s late but I was wondering if I could skype you?>_

_4:25 pm: <Of course. Give me second to turn light on.> _

**

“Hey,” Zhenya looked cheerful, if a little tired.

“Hey,” Sid said breathlessly. “I’m sorry to wake you.”

“It’s okay. Just lay down couple minutes ago. You all right?”

“Yeah,” Sid licked his lips a little nervously. “I just…” He held the big, manilla envelope up. “This just came in the mail, it’s from Pitt.”

Suddenly Zhenya looked wide awake and he moved to sit up in his bed. “Sid,” he breathed with a slow growing smile. “That what I think it is?”

“I—I don’t know. I’ve been too nervous to open it.”

“Have to open. I be right here with you whole time. No matter what happen, will be okay.”

“Okay,” Sid said and took a deep breath, moving the laptop off of his lap and set it on the bedspread. “Can, um, can you still see me?”

“Da. Can see good. You ready?”

“I don’t know. What if it’s another rejection?”

“Only one way to find out.”

“You’re right. Okay, here I go.” Sid opened the envelope and pulled out the cover letter with shaking hands, taking a moment to skim it before he dropped it completely and slapped his hands over his mouth.

“Well? What it say?” Zhenya’s eyes were wide.

Dropping his hands, Sid broke into a huge smile. “I got in. Zhenya, I got in!”

Zhenya crowed loudly. “I knew it! Knew they be crazy not to accept you!”

“Oh my god, Zhenya. I can’t believe it. I got in!” He smiled goofily at Zhenya and silently wished, not for the first or last time, that Zhenya was here with him, that he could reach out and hug him.

As if reading his thoughts Zhenya reached toward the screen, still smiling if a little wistful looking. “Wish I was there right now to hug you. So proud of you.”

**

_ 7:45 am: <good luck today. proud of you!> _

_ 7:46 am: < :)) Thanks Zhenya. I’ll text you as soon as I land> _

_ 2:02 pm: <Plane just landed. Can’t believe I’m in Pittsburgh!> _

_ 2:03 pm: < )))))) Flight go okay?> _

_ 2:46 pm: <Long but it went fine. Just got my bags. You might be asleep the next time I can message you. I’ll let you know how it goes.> _

_ 2:47 pm: <okay. hope your roommate nice. Night sid.> _

_ 2:48 pm: <Night, Zhenya. :))> _

_ 8:13 pm:<how’s room? room mate nice?> _

_ 8:15 pm: <Omg, it’s after 3 am there! You should be sleeping!> _

_ 8:16 pm: <just wake up for little bit and wonder how you doing.> _

_ 8:17 pm: < :)) I think it’s going good. My roommate is nice. He says everyone calls him Flower.> _

_ 8:18 pm: <funny name.> _

_ 8:19 pm: <It’s his hockey nickname. But he seems like a good guy. I took some pictures of the room to show you in the morning.> _

_ 8:20 pm: <show now! want to see your room since we’re  _ _ not get to skype earlier. then i’m go back to sleep.> _

_ 8:21 pm: <Omg Zhenya, so impatient. :)) I’ll send them now.> _

**

“Hey Sid, I’m not expect you…” Zhenya was looking at a black screen and all he could hear were muffled voices. “Sid?”

“Shit!” There were sounds of fumbling and then Sid’s flushed, sweaty face appeared on the screen. “Zhenya, hey! God, I’m sorry. I must have pocket dialed you. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

“Come on, Sid. Tell him you’ll call him later.” Another voice, deep and impatient, sounded out from the background, out of view of the screen and Sid blushed a little deeper as he flicked his eyes up over the phone and then back to the screen.

“Sorry. That’s…” He trailed off as he saw understanding dawn on Zhenya’s face. “I mean, well, he’s a friend of—”

“Hey, is okay,” Zhenya cut him off. “You busy with friend. We talk later, da?”

“Yeah of course.”

Zhenya held his gaze for another moment before saying softly. “Night, Sid.”

“Night, Zhenya.”

******

“Hey” Zhenya answered on the second ring. “You up early.”

“Hi Zhenya,” Sid said softly, and Zhenya could hear the trepidation in his voice.

“Hey, what wrong? You okay?”

“I—I’m sorry about last night.”

“Was accident, Sid. Nothing to be sorry for.”

“I know, I just... I shouldn’t—I mean that shouldn’t have happened.I’m really sorry.”

“Not a big deal. Please stop apologize.”

“Okay.”

It was quiet for a moment before Zhenya said quietly, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah of course.”

“Then why you sound so sad?”

Sid hesitated and Zhenya was about to prompt him again when Sid finally spoke, voice thin and soft. “I was a little afraid that you would, I don’t know, hate me.”

“Why would you think that? You my best friend, could never hate you.”

“Zhenya, I—” Sid had to stop to swallow before forcing himself to go on. “I was—that was a date. I was on a date. With...him.”

“Yeah, kind of figure out.”

“You’re—you’re okay with that?”

“Depend. He good to you?”

“What?” Sid hadn’t been expecting that at all.

Zhenya sighed heavily. “Sid, come on. Kind of hurt feelings, you think I would be mad because you date boy. Should know that never matter to me, all that matter is that whoever with you deserve you, treat you right. He treat you good, I’m okay with him. He not treat you good, I’m break his neck.”

“Zhenya…”

“Was this why you call instead of skype?”

“Yeah. I guess I was just afraid to see your face if…” he trailed off, not really needing to finish.

“You really think I’m hate you, Sid?” And Zhenya really did sound hurt.

“I’m, god, I’m so sorry. I knew better, I know you better than that, I just...I don’t know. I guess it scared me a little bit. You—you’re my best friend. I don’t want to lose you.”

Zhenya’s voice is rough when he finally speaks. “Never lose me, Sid. Understand?”

“Yeah. I—yeah. I understand.”

“Maybe,” Zhenya started and paused. “Maybe I’m should tell you before but just not know how to bring up. I’m like girls but like boys, too.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Why you not tell me before now?”

That drew Sid up short. “Yeah okay, I get it.”

“Besides, here is not something good to talk about a lot. Have to be careful. I guess that just stick.”

“Yeah I get it.” Sid sighed softly. “I’m sorry, Zhenya. I know you and I should have trusted you. I won’t make that mistake again. You really do mean the world to me.”

“You mean world to me too, Sid. Nothing gonna change that.”

**

“Hey Zhenya,” Sid says, grinning into the camera before his eyes go wide. “Flower don—”

He’s cut off by what is presumably Flower flinging himself onto the bed and shoving his face in next to Sid’s. “Hey Zhenya, what up!”

“Hey Flower,” Zhenya greets him cheerfully. Sid loved the way they took to each other within a few months of Sid starting college. At first there had been a short time when he was maybe a little jealous, part of him irrationally afraid of being replaced but ultimately he knew Zhenya better than that. Besides, as well as Zhenya and Flower got along, Zhenya always found ways to remind him he was special, their friendship was special. Now, nearly two years later it wasn’t at all unusual for Flower to pop in when they skyped or comment all over Zhenya’s social media.

Sid liked it. He and Flower had gotten close pretty fast and he could honestly say that he had two best friends and the fact that they were friends with each other, too? That was priceless to Sid.

“Did Sid tell you the good news?”

“How can he? You push big head into frame before he can say more than hi.”

“Oh shut up, you love me and you know it—Ow!” He jumped and poked at Sid’s arm. “What was that for?”

“For butting in and I’ll do it again if you don’t shut up.”

Flower made a face at him but, amazingly, shut up.

“So?” Zhenya prompted.

“We got the rental house,” Sid exclaimed, beaming because they’d really, really wanted this rental and in two weeks, he was moving in with his three closest friends on campus. “We can move in in a couple of weeks.”

“No more dorm, bitches!” Flower exclaimed while Sid giggled with a nod.

Zhenya grinned at them. “Now I’m have to visit, have place to stay for sure.”

“That’s right, asshole,” Flower retorted. “Now your big Russian ass _has_ to come visit.”

Something deep in Sid’s chest fluttered as he thought about the now more real than ever possibility that he’d finally get to meet Zhenya in person.

**

Sid wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. He’d been dating Cam for awhile now and he wanted to know that the important people in his life got along. That was a little harder to accomplish when your best friend lived in Russia but not impossible. Still, it had taken him longer than he expected to convince Cam to sit in on one of his skype calls with Zhenya and now that it was happening, he kept having an odd compulsion to call the whole thing off.

That would be silly, though, so he waited until Cam settled in next to him on the couch and called Zhenya.

“Zhenya, this is Cam,” he said a few minutes later, coaxing Cam to lean into the frame. “Cam, this is Zhenya.”

They greeted each other politely but where Zhenya’s greeting was warm, Cam’s sounded stilted and impatient. Sid felt a surge of annoyance. He tried to push past it, tried several times to get them engaged in conversation until it became clear that while they were being polite, whatever Sid was hoping for just wasn’t going to happen.

Later, after Cam was gone, Sid couldn’t help but call Zhenya back.

“Hey Sid,” he answered, running a hand through his hair as Sid settled back against the pillows on his bed. “That was quick.”

“Yeah, he needed to go home so…” Sid shrugged. “So, what did you think?”

Zhenya had surprised Sid by hesitating and then speaking very carefully. “He seem nice.”

“Liar,” Sid retorted. “What do you really think?”

Zhenya sighed. “Hard to know what to think. He kind of quiet, I guess. Not really say much. Seem like maybe he rather not be on phone call.”

“He just—” Sid started to protest and then stopped himself. “I did kind of bug him about doing it. I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

Zhenya narrowed his eyes a bit. “Not wrong to want boyfriend to meet best friend, Sid.”

“No, I know. I guess I just thought it would go different than that. More like when you met Flower or Tanger.”

Zhenya shrugged. “Maybe with time.”

**

Cam followed Sid into the house with a frown. “Come on, Sid,” he cajoled. “Joey said his place is packed.”

Sid sighed and turned to face him. “Then you should go. I told you I don’t mind and I meant it.”

“Maybe I want you to go with me.”

“You know I’m not really comfortable at Joey’s parties. Besides, I already told you, I have to call—”

“Zhenya,” Cam interrupted in a nasally voice. “Of course you have to call him. When don’t you?”

Sid narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, I don’t know Sid, maybe it means I’m sick of playing second fiddle to some guy you don’t even really know.”

“He’s my best friend. Of course I know him!”

“Oh come off of it. The whole thing is just fucking weird. Who has a best friend that they’ve never met? Don’t you think that’s kind of fucked up?”

“No. What’s fucked up is you being so threatened by him.” Sid was angry now and he already knew that there would be no coming back from this.

“Threatened? You must be kidding. There is _nothing_ threatening about him. What’s he going to do? Call me?”

“Okay, you know what? This is ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous is him stringing you along for years and you just eating it up like some pathetic little puppy. Here’s a clue, Sid. If he wanted you, he would have made it happen a long time ago.”

Sid felt his shoulders tense as his lips pursed together. “It’s not. Like. That.” he pushed through gritted teeth.

“No? What if I asked you to stop talking to him? We’re dating and I don’t want you talking to him all the time.”

Sid shook his head, already resigned. “Then I’d have to say it’s been nice but it’s not going to work between us.”

Cam let out a humourless laugh and grabbed his jacket. “You’re a fucking fool,” he snapped on the way out.

**

“What wrong?” Of course he knew. Zhenya _always_ knew. There was no point in trying to deny it.

“I broke up with Cam.”

“Oh Sid. I’m sorry. You okay?”

“Actually, yeah. He was being a jerk.”

Zhenya narrowed his eyes, leaning forward. “What he do to you?”

“Nothing. He was just acting like a jerk and he said…” Sid trailed off, looking up at Zhenya and had to smile at what he saw. Zhenya. His Zhenya who always had his back, no matter what. “Doesn’t matter what he said, he was just just being a jerk and I was tired of it. I’m honestly kind of relieved.”

Zhenya didn’t look completely satisfied but his body relaxed a little as he sat back. “Okay. Still sorry it not work out but glad you not stay with someone who not right for you.”

**

“Merry Christmas, Sid,” Zhenya said softly, a funny look in his eyes.

“Merry Christmas, Zhenya,” Sid said, just as gently. “Did you like it?”

Zhenya traced his fingers across the Cyrillic letters that spelled out Малкин across the back of the Pens jersey. “Like not big enough word. How you even get them to do? Can’t have been easy.”

Sid shrugged with a soft smile. “It was worth it.”

**

Sid looked up in surprise when he heard the familiar ringtone and glanced at the clock. Almost midnight in Russia. He shook his head with a smile and pressed the button to accept. “What are you doing calling me? Shouldn’t you be celeb—” He stopped cold when he saw Zhenya’s face and the smile dropped off of his own. “Zhenya what’s wrong?”

Zhenya swallowed hard. “Need to talk to you.”

Sid’s stomach lurched and he pulled the laptop closer. “What is it?”

“You know I’m graduate in May.”

“Yeah?”

“And I’m tell you before, I’m consider look at graduate program in United States and Canada.”

“Yeah of course.”

“Got acceptance letter today.”

“Okay...I just. Is it someplace bad? I don’t...Zhenya please. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Zhenya sighed. “Get accepted in Pittsburgh, Sid. And want to come more than anything in world but I can’t—is wrong to come there without you know truth.”

Sid’s heart sank. “What… What do you mean?” Why did it suddenly feel so hard to breathe?

“For long time now, I’m want to come there. For school, yes, but mostly for meet you. And I realize maybe it wrong to come there with wrong expectation without ever tell you how I’m feel.”

Sid stared, confused and scared.

“I tell you before you always be my best friend, I’m always be here for you. That never going to change. But is so much more, Sid and I realize, I can’t come there without knowing first how you feel. I feel… more than friends about you. Have for long time, Sid. Tried to never let it get in way. Afraid to tell you, never want to make things awkward, just want to be in your life. But now I’m maybe coming there and I need to be honest with you before I come.”

Sid turned all of that over in his head for a moment before he looked back up, catching Zhenya’s eyes with his own. “Are you saying that you want to be more than friends with me?”

“Yes. I’m sorry if saying that make things we—”

“I want that, too,” Sid cut him off, throat feeling thick.

Zhenya’s eyes widened, hopefully. “You want too?”

“Yes,” Sid nods. “For a long time. You mean everything to me.”

Zhenya finally crooks his lips into a soft smile as he breathes out Sidney’s name.

**

_6:57 pm: < landed. See you soon ))))))))) <3 > _

Sid smiled down at the text and headed for baggage claim.


End file.
